Geoffrey Morden Joins The Westin Ottawa as Executive Chef

OTTAWA, CA. September 14, 2017 - The Westin Ottawa is excited to announce the arrival of their new Executive Chef, Geoffrey Morden. With 18 years of experience working with culinary teams at Fairmont properties and 14 years of experience as an Executive Chef, Geoffrey was also part of the opening team for one of Ottawa’s largest kitchens at Shaw Centre. In his position as Executive Chef, Geoffrey will be leading the culinary team in providing 350,000 banquet and catering covers per year throughout The Westin Ottawa’s 47,200 square feet of meeting space, as well at the hotel’s 24-Hour Room Service.

Geoffrey’s experiences have helped him develop leadership and culinary skills, through the management of multi-outlet hotels and large volume catering operations.

About The Westin Ottawa

Located on the Rideau Canal adjacent to Rideau Centre Shopping Mall and the Ottawa Convention Centre, The Westin Ottawa offers direct access to all the allures of Canada’s capital city, from its thriving businesses to its many cultural diversions. The hotel offers 47,000 square feet of state-of-the-art conference facilities and a 24-hour Business Centre as well as WestinWORKOUT® Fitness Studio, squash court, and indoor saltwater pool ensuring guests feel better than when they arrived. To learn more, visit www.thewestinottawa.com. Stay connected on Facebook, and @thewestinottawa on Twitter and Instagram.

About

About Marriott International

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in Bethesda,Maryland, USA, with more than 4,200 properties in 80 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. The company operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts under 19 brands, including: The Ritz-Carlton®, BVlgari®, EDITION®, JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels and Resorts®, Marriott Executive Apartments®, Marriott Vacation Club®, Gaylord Hotels®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, Courtyard®, Residence Inn®, SpringHill Suites®, Fairfield Inn & Suites®, TownePlace Suites®, Protea Hotels® and MoxyHotels®. Marriott has been consistently recognized as a top employer and for its superior business ethics. The company also manages the award-winning guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® program, which together surpass 50 million members. For more information or reservations, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com.

Human Resources: Value Creation

Businesses must evolve to stay competitive and this is also true of employment positions within those organizations. In the hotel industry, for example, the role that HR professionals perform continues to broaden and expand. Today, they are generally responsible for five key areas - government compliance; payroll and benefits; employee acquisition and retention; training and development; and organizational structure and culture. In this enlarged capacity, HR professionals are no longer seen as part of an administrative cost center, but rather as a member of the leadership team that creates strategic value within their organization. HR professionals help to define company policies and plans; enact and enforce systems of accountability; and utilize definable metrics to measure and justify outcomes. Of course, there are always new issues for HR professionals to address. Though seemingly safe for the moment, will the Affordable Care Act ultimately be repealed and replaced and, if so, what will the ramifications be? There are issues pertaining to Millennials in the workforce and women in leadership roles, as well as determining the appropriate use of social media within the organization. There are new onboarding processes and e-learning training platforms to evaluate, in addition to keeping abreast of political issues like the minimum wage hike movement, or the re-evaluation of overtime rules. Finally, there are genuine immigration and deportation issues that affect HR professionals, especially if they are located in Dreamer Cities, or employ a workforce that could be adversely impacted by federal government policies. The March Hotel Business Review will take a look at some of the issues, strategies and techniques that HR professionals are employing to create and sustain value in their organization.